Sterilization of liquids.



V. HENRI, A. HELBRONNERKI. M. VON RECKLINGHAUSBN.

. STERILIZATION 0F LIQUIDS.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 24, 1912.

1,124,737. Patented 1511.12, 1915.

WITNESSES mvawroas' 925 Z/W; Q IW M, WW

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

VICTOB'HENRI, ANDRE HELBBONNER, A ND MA1 VON RECKLINGHAUSEN, OF PAB IIS, FRANCE, ASSIGNORS, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO THE B. U. V. COMPANY, INC., A

CORPORATION OF YORK.

STEBILIZATION OF LIQUIDS.

Specification of Letters I'atent.

Patented Jan.12, 1915..

'Original application filed June 7, 1910, Serial No. 585,610 Divided and this application filed December 2t, 1912. Serial No.738,423.

7 '0 (all whom. it may concern:

Be it known that we, Vio'roii HENRI and ANDRE HELBRONNER, citizens of the Republie of France, and Max voN RECKLING- IIAUSEN, a subject of the Emperor of Germany, residing at Paris, France, have invented new and useful Improvements in the Sterilization of Liquids, of which the following is a specification.

In the specification filed with our application for Letters Patent on 26th February 1910 Serial No. 546252, we have described a process for the sterilization of liquids by means of the action of ultra-violet rays, in which process, where the liquid to be sterilized possesses a high degree of opacity to the rays, we arrange that it shall be caused to fiow in a thin film in order that all its particles may be exposed to the desired infiuence.

The present invention relates to an improvement on'the process above mentioned and in'accordance therewith thin films of the liquid are produced by means of a force greater than gravity as We have found that many liquids, milk for example, do not under the action of gravity alone form a sufficiently thin film to enable the liquid to be sterilized quickly and thoroughly.

' according to the present invention is Apparatus for carrying out the process scribed in the specification filed with our application for United States patent on the 7th June 1910, Serial No. 565610, of which the present application is a division.

In our improved method the force which we employ is that of adhesion and we arrange the apparatus in such a manner that this force shall be opposed by gravity acting upon a film which is drawn out by a continuously moving surface upon which the liquid to be sterilized, milk for example, is delivered. By causing the surface to travel away from the liquid in an upward direction we insure that the force forming the thin film shall be greater than gravity which naturally tends to draw the film downward and we thereby obtain an extreme attenuation which enables all the particles of the liquid to be exposed to the action of the ultra-violet rays during a very short period of time.

may be clearly understood we will now de-- an apparatus by means of which itmay be carried into practical efl'ect.

A hollow cylinder 1 is provided supported on a bearing in which it may be rotated and having approximately in the axis thereof a source of ultra-violet rays indicated at 2 as being a mercury vapor lamp with a quartz container of a well known type. The liquid to be sterilized, milk for example, is delivered from a pipe 3 through holes or ets 4 therein on to the inner periphery of the cylinder 1 near the bottom thereof. As the cylinder is rotated in the direction of the arrow the liquid is drawn out into a film by reason of the adhesion its thickness being regulated by means of a V- shaped baflie plate or scraper 5 which also causes the surplus liquid to be moved toward the ends of the cylinder. As the cylinder is continuously rotated the film is carried upward on the left of the figure in opposition to the force of gravity actin thereon and is subjected to the ultra-vio et rays emanating from the source 2. The film is scraped off the cylinder by the stationary plate 6 which collects the liquid and delivers it through the pipe 7 leading to the receptacle for sterilized liquid.

IVe claim as our invention 1. The method of sterilizing liquids, which consists in delivering the liquid to a moving surface, forming the liquid so delivered into a thin film by means only of the adhesive force between said liquid and said moving surface, and exposing the same to the action of ultra-violet rays.

2. The method of sterilizing liquids, which consists in delivering the liquid to a continuously rotating surface, forming the liquid so delivered into a thin film by means only of the adhesive force between said liquid and said rotating surface, exposing the film of liquid thereon to the action of and continuously rotating around a horisubscribed our names this fifth day of De- 1o zontal axis, forming the liquid so delivered cember 1912. v

' into a thin film by means only of the adhe- VICTOR H R sive force between said llqnfl und said ro- ANDRE HELBRONNER tating surface, and exposing the film of V liquid thereon to'the action of ultra-violet MAX VON RELKLINGHAUbEN' rays, and collecting the sterilized liquid Witnesses: from said surface by suitable means. GEORGE E. LIGHT,

I In testimony whereof we have hereunto LUcmN MEMMINGER. 

